


Of Hooves and Hard Hats

by starstruck_moon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Horses, Just Roll With It, M/M, Muggle AU, also minor jily, basically wolfstar with horses, idk anything about horses though, idk how to tag, stables, we love uncle alphard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23946268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starstruck_moon/pseuds/starstruck_moon
Summary: After escaping his bigoted family, Sirius joins Hogwarts Stables, owned by his Uncle Alphard and run by Albus Dumbledore. He meets a bunch of teenagers who love to ride, including a fascinating boy named Remus Lupin who makes his heart race faster than an Arabian thoroughbred.
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Mary Macdonald/Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 24
Kudos: 31





	1. Hogsmeade

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by Netflix original Free Rein. I don't know how long it's going to be, but I'll be updating it regularly (while procrastinating homework and revision obviously).  
> Enjoy :)

It took Sirius a few moments to realise where he was when he woke up. Golden sunlight filtered through the windows in a way it never did in Grimmauld place, and his mothers’ shrieks did not rattle the windows. 

Then Sirius remembered he was in his Great Uncle Alphard’s house in the country. The events of the day before came back to him: coming down to breakfast to expect the usual yelling about his hair and clothes, finding his brother looking at him with fear and his mother slapping him and his father taking out a belt before everything went black, waking up locked up in the attic, escaping through the window and down the pipes with his phone and £20 he stole from the front room (where he found his name burnt off the family tree), catching a train to the countryside and stumbling into his uncle’s house. Sirius had only stayed in Grimmauld Place because of his brother; Alphard had offered him a place several times but he had refused so that he could protect Regulus from his parents. Then Regulus had told Walburga that Sirius was gay and Sirius had given up and left him behind. 

He got dressed, ignoring the scars and bruises that twinged on his torso, most (but not all - a few were from horse riding accidents) from yesterday, and looked around the bedroom that his uncle had given him. It wasn’t like his room he’d left behind - his Grimmauld Place room had been a safe haven, a hiding place where he’d taken refuge. It had also held all the trophies he hated so much in a dusty box under his bed. He missed his old bedroom, but it was so filled with bad memories and fear that he much preferred this blank, unpersonalised room. He made up his mind to decorate it and make it his as soon as he could - he didn’t really have much else to do, apart from going shopping to get new clothes and things. 

He clattered downstairs to find his uncle sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. Alphard Black was his mother’s uncle, but no one really talked about him. He was a family disappointment, a bit like Sirius, but he was still invited to parties and included in family events. Like the rest of his family, Alphard made his money from horses, but while the other Blacks rode in competitions and bet on races, Alphard wrote books about them - care of horses, horse novels, biographies of famous horse riders. The books were wildly popular, resulting in Alphard being almost as rich as Sirius’ parents. 

His uncle looked up at him when he entered the kitchen. ‘Morning,’ he greeted, ‘I’ve just finished breakfast, but help yourself to toast or cereal. Any plans for today?’

One thing Sirius liked about his uncle was that he didn’t ask questions; Sirius hadn’t told him what had happened, but Alphard had only given him cream for his cuts and bruises and told him to rest.

‘I was planning on going shopping. I left everything behind. Any towns near here?’

‘Hogsmeade’s very close by. Thirty minute walk or so, but I’ve got a spare cycle in the shed. You’ll need this’.

From his pyjama pocket, Alphard produced a credit card and passed it to Sirius. Sirius accepted it and felt a rush of gratitude. He looked up into his uncle’s crinkled eyes. 

‘Thank you,’ he said, heartfelt. ‘For everything’.

‘Don’t worry about it. And remember, you’ve got a home here for as long as you need it. It’s been a while since I’ve had someone around and we white sheep need to stick together, eh?’ (‘White sheep’ had been a term dubbed by Alphard - the Black family disappointments. It included Alphard, Sirius and Sirius’ cousin Andromeda.) 

Sirius nodded gratefully. Alphard smiled at him warmly again and left the room after pointing to a map of the area that was hung on the wall over a counter. 

***

After a breakfast of toast, cereal and coffee, Sirius cycled down to the town of Hogsmeade. It would take him fifteen minutes on Alphard’s old cycle. Most of the route was surrounded by fields, but Sirius got a glimpse of the ocean in the distance. 

Five minutes into the ride, just as he turned away from the coastal view, Sirius heard the sound of hooves. Curious, he looked around and saw a horse galloping, far away. He could just make out a figure sitting on it, bent low. The horse was going at considerable speed, and Sirius found himself impressed. He could himself go that fast, but it took effort and control. 

Sirius had been brought up on horseback. He’d been trained to eventually become the best rider in the Black family. The Blacks took part in prestigious riding competitions, and Orion Black had taken part in the Olympics. But the Blacks were focused on winning more than anything. They treated their horses terribly, feeding them little and giving them drugs to improve their performances. Moreover, the Blacks took pride in their ancestry and were racist, classist and homophobic. 

However, much as Sirius detested his family, he couldn’t bring himself to hate horse riding. He loved the feel of galloping, the wind in his hair, forgetting his problems and feeling peaceful. His one regret about leaving (apart from Regulus) was leaving horse riding behind.

So the rider in the distance made Sirius curious if there were stables nearby or if it was just someone who liked to ride and had one horse. He decided to ask Alphard when he returned. 

He reached Hogsmeade just then, and pushed horses out of his mind. He focused on a map of Hogsmeade. It was small; very small, contrasting to London's huge size. Passing quaint houses, cafes and a large school, recently emptied for the summer (Sirius thought he would probably go there for school. Another thing to discuss with his uncle), he found the towns only, although long, high street with multiple shops and cafes. 

***

A few hours later, clutching three large bags that c ontained clothes, posters of horses and a map to put up, new headphones and some stationary, Sirius dropped into a cafe, exhausted. He ordered a cappuccino from a friendly brown haired girl and sat by the window, gazing out at the town. The cafe was not crowded, but it wasn't empty. 

Just then, the cafe filled with chatter as eight teenagers breezed in, talking loudly amongst themselves. A tall, wild haired boy with spectacles was talking the loudest. 

‘Marlene! When does your shift end again?’ He called to the girl behind the counter.

‘Ten minutes. Hold on, I’ll make you all your usual’ Marlene replied.

‘No, make mine the same as Lily’s!’

‘Potter, if you think getting the same coffee as me is going to make me suddenly want to go out with you…’ 

‘Why do you still call him Potter? You’ve been friends for, like, five years now’

‘Good point, Petey. Also why didn’t Remus come?’

‘Dunno mate. Hey, isn’t that boy new?’

This last sentence was said in a hushed voice as they sat down across the cafe and caught sight of Sirius. He carried on looking out, pretending he hadn’t heard, feeling a slight pang of jealousy at the group and their friendly banter. He’d been popular at his school, but never had the chance of really getting close to anyone before he’d been pulled out to focus on his horse riding and having private lessons with a stern tutor. The only kids his age he’d interacted with were his cousins and family friends They all shared a similar racist, bigoted mindset that was different to his. Needless to say, Sirius had hated them and taken pleasure in pranking them as much as they enjoyed insulting him. 

He tuned back into their conversation, having nothing better to do. He knew eavesdropping was wrong but it wasn’t like they were talking about anything important or secretive. 

‘...so glad school’s out’

‘This coffee is perfect, thanks Marls’

‘My girlfriend makes nothing but the best’

‘Lily, what do you drink? This is far too sweet!’

‘You’re the one who insisted on copying me’

‘Also Remus’ is far sweeter. He prefers sugar with a shot of coffee’

‘You lot are all crazy, drinking hot coffee. Why on earth did you not just order an iced coffee like me?’

Sirius yearned for a friendship close to like the one they had. He’d inherited his parents’ good looks, the one good thing they’d unintentionally given him, and years of attending parties meant he knew how to please people, but the fact remained he was still different. He’d have no idea how to behave at school and if anyone would ever like him the way he was.

He finished his coffee and headed back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remus was the rider that Sirius saw. He probably won't be in the next chapter, but definitely in the one after that.
> 
> Kudos and nice comments make my day, so if you liked it please leave something!  
> Nikki x


	2. The Stables

The next day, Sirius decided to explore the area a bit more. He set off soon after breakfast, which had been made by Alphard’s housekeeper, Mrs Dobby, a friendly middle aged woman who lived in Hogsmeade. 

Cycling was pleasant enough, although Sirius much preferred horses. He explored the countryside, which consisted mostly of green fields full of grass and summer flowers. It was warm, so Sirius was sweating slightly when he sat on the beach to take a break and eat an early lunch of bacon sandwiches. 

He watched the clear water come and go. The sand was soft and golden under him. It was calm and serene, unlike the hustle and bustle of London. He’d been to the beach before, with his family one summer. He’d loved swimming, but his cousins kept forcing him to go deeper than he felt comfortable with, which had spoilt the experience. Sitting here gave him time to think, time for himself. 

Suddenly, he heard the clip-clop of a walking horse, muffled by the sand. He scrambled up and looked around. A chestnut horse was being led by a boy. As they got closer, Sirius could see that it was the messy haired, bespectacled boy from the cafe. 

He wheeled his bike closer to the horse and the boy and put his hand on the horse.

‘Is there a stable round here?’ he asked the boy.

‘Sure is. You ride?’ 

‘Yup’

‘Oh, you’re the boy from the cafe, aren’t you? I’m James Potter. Come on, I’ll show you. You’re new, right? Here to stay, or visiting?’

‘I’m staying, with my uncle,’ Sirius said, following James. So he was a Potter. The Potters were a rich family, but unlike the Blacks, they were new money. Walburga hated them for their lack of heritage and the fact that they were Indian and not white.

Sirius liked this boy immediately.

‘This is Prongs, by the way. Well, her real name is Paisley, but we dressed her up as a reindeer one Christmas and nicknamed her that.’

‘Who owns the stable?’

‘Alphard Black. He opened it five years ago. We hardly ever see him though. He doesn’t run it’ 

Sirius wasn’t surprised his uncle hadn’t told him; Alphard had been shut up in his study writing all day yesterday. Sirius had a feeling he wasn’t going to see him much - not that he minded, really.

‘Who does?’ 

‘Albus Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall and Horace are our riding instructors. There are nine of us - we all joined when it opened. Let’s see, there’s me, Lily, Dorcas, Marlene, Peter, Mary, Alice, Frank and Remus. There are ten horses and we all have our favourites. Oh, here we are!’

Sirius refrained from asking why they called their riding instructor ‘Professor’ and looked curiously at the stable. A jaunty wooden sign proclaimed ‘Hogwarts Stables’ in large painted letters. Stalls surrounded a courtyard of cobbled stone. There were around ten stalls, most of which had horses in them. It was so different from the large, cold Black stables. Before Sirius had time to look at it properly, James was beckoning him inside, still talking.

‘Come on, I’ll show you the horses and the people’

He led Sirius to an empty stall and put Prongs back in it before going to one end of the stalls.

‘Okay, so this is Sugarcube, Marlene’s horse. She’s really friendly and easy to ride. Sugarcube, I mean, not Marlene. Although Marlene’s friendly too,’ Sirius snorted, ‘anyway, moving on…’

He showed Sirius round the stalls, stopping when a blonde girl mucking out one of the stalls addressed him.

‘James, were you the one who filled my locker with hay?’

‘I may or may not have been’

‘Can I ask why?’

‘Um…’

Sirius moved on to the next stall, a raven black horse with a glistening coat. He could see it was restless, but was very good breeding - almost pure Arabian. He put out his hand and gently rested it on the horse’s nose. It tensed and snorted, but nuzzled Sirius gently.

‘Hey! Don’t-’ 

Sirius turned to see James and the blonde girl staring at him, jaws dropped.

‘What?’

They exchanged a glance. ‘That horse is wild. No one’s been able to touch him apart from Remus, our best rider, and even he can’t sit on him without being thrown off. He’s new’ 

‘Can I try?’

James and the girl exchanged another glance. ‘He seems to like you, so I don’t see why not’, said James at last.

‘James! We can’t just let a random stranger ride Padfoot! He’s dangerous!’

‘But Dorcas, he told me that he rides and just look how friendly Padfoot is with him! You know that if we don’t find a rider he’s going to be given to you-know-where’

Sirius drew instinctively closer to the horse. He knew what James meant by you-know-where - the pound where horses were killed and turned into dog meat. He’d seen enough Black horses go there when they got lame or grew too old.

Dorcas bit her lip. ‘Fine. But we can’t get caught. The adults are in a meeting about him already so we have one hour’

‘It’ll only be for a second’ Sirius promised.

‘At least put on some riding gear. James should have some spare’

James grinned at him. ‘Come on. You can meet the others. Everyone’s in, right?’ He asked Dorcas.

‘Yes, apart from Remus. Remus went riding on Moony’

‘By the way, why do you call your riding instructor ‘Professor’?’ asked Sirius curiously, as they made their way across the yard.

Dorcas grinned. ‘You’ll know when you see her’

‘Do you do competitions and things?’

‘Yes, but we’re not great. Remus is amazing - he’s the only one who’s been riding since birth - but the rest of us bring him down a bit. If we just had one more good rider we could make it to Nationals,’ said James wistfully.

Dorcas rolled her eyes. ‘It’s not about good riders, it’s those cheaters like Blacks who always mess up the competition. Have you heard of the Black family? Not Alphard Black, but the others?’

‘I have, a little’, replied Sirius. He realised he hadn’t actually told them his name.

‘The Black kids always win the League competitions. We’ve never seen them because we’re not from the same region, but they’re mentioned in the magazines. There’s no proof that they cheat, but we’ve heard they do abuse their horses’, said James solemnly. Sirius bit down a laugh. If only James knew how true that was.

They reached the locker room, but again it was unlike the cold, tiny room in the Black stables. This place was more of a common room, with lockers on one side decorated with pictures and magnets. There were photos and Regional trophies everywhere, a large bulletin board filled with reminders and notices, and fairy lights draped over the ceiling. A pair of speakers was quietly playing music, next to a small TV. There was even a small fridge and cupboard with snacks spilling out. A table was covered with more trophies and a lamp. In the middle were two large, squashy sofas, and on these sprawled a group of girls and boys, talking, some wearing riding gear; the same group that was in the cafe.

They looked up as the door banged open. ‘Who’s your friend?’ asked a boy clutching a pack of crisps curiously.

‘This is…’ announced James. ‘Wait, I don’t know your name’

‘Sirius Black’

That got a reaction. The kids on the sofa looked impressed and wary. James and Dorcas looked horrified.

‘Oh my god, I-’

‘Don’t worry, I agree with you. I hate my family, and yes, they do abuse the horses. I ran away for good two days ago and I’m staying with Uncle Alphard now’

James looked relieved. ‘Sirius is going to ride Padfoot’, he announced impressively, crossing the room to get to his locker. The teenagers looked awed and slightly dubious.

‘Is that really wise?’, asked a redheaded girl sceptically.

‘It’s Sirius Black, Lily. Also, you should have seen them earlier. Padfoot let him touch him without kicking him in face or something’, replied Dorcas.

‘Well, in that case. I’m Lily, by the way’, she said, smiling warmly at him.

‘My future wife!’ called James, who was busy with his locker.

‘Shut up, Potter. Anyway, you’ve met that idiot James, that’s Alice and Frank, Peter and Mary, and Marlene and Dorcas,’ she said, pointing to each person in turn who gave him a smile and a wave. ‘Oh, and Remus is out riding. Are you going to join the stables? It’s not much, but it’s a kind of home for us’

‘I’d love to’

‘Well, you’d be welcome here’

‘Especially considering that you’re Sirius Black’, added the boy with the crisps.

‘Peter’

‘Here we go. You can change in there’, James said, pointing to a bathroom.

***

Everyone accompanied Sirius when he slowly led Padfoot out of his stall after saddling him. The horse was sleek and black all over, except for a small white marking on his back leg that reminded Sirius of his first horse, Black Beauty, who had also been black and had a similar marking on her foot. Beauty had been much larger, though. She’d gone to the pound. 

They went around the back of the stalls to a small field which had cones, jumps and lengths marked, clearly used for practice. Sirius elegantly swung onto Padfoot, adrenaline beginning to pump as the horse snorted, alarmed. Sirius saw the horse had been mistreated and was wary of people. A scared horse was a dangerous one, but Sirius had experience with them. He patted its neck. ‘It’s okay,’ he whispered.

They started walking slowly, before cantering a little faster. Padfoot was well trained, but just needed some coaxing and a rider who understood him. He glanced at his audience, who were watching him, awed. James had a big grin on his face. Sirius had never really had anyone to impress; he’d only been at best acceptable in his family. Even in competitions, it had always been his parents who’d got the praise for ‘training him well’. Smirking slightly, he decided to give them a show.

The horse and boy broke into a gallop, gathering speed before jumping over the jumps smoothly, earning a gasp and clap from the assembled watchers. He did a second round, allowing himself to bask slightly in the attention he was receiving. 

Suddenly, Alice cried out in alarm. ‘We have five minutes before Albus’ meeting ends!’ 

‘Oh no! We need to get them back before the adults come!’

‘We’re going to be in so much trouble!’ moaned Peter.

‘No, we won’t. We just need to make sure that Padfoot’s back in his stall by the time they come out. We can explain Sirius’ riding gear by saying we wanted to see him ride. We could say we were going to get him to ride Acorn or something. But just to be safe, Frank, you go distract them.’

Frank nodded and raced away. James turned to Sirius, who dismounted and started to lead Padfoot. But Padfoot disliked the end of his run and wouldn’t move. 

‘Come on, we need to go back. Please’, Sirius whispered desperately. He didn’t want to be banned from the place before he’d got a chance to ride for himself and make new friends. Padfoot didn’t budge.

Lily groaned. Peter whimpered. Sirius made up his mind and swung himself back onto Padfoot.

‘What are you doing?’ cried Marlene.

Sirius ignored her. ‘Okay, we’re riding for two more minutes and then you need to go back or we’ll get into trouble. But I promise we’ll ride again’ he murmured to Padfoot. The horse tossed his head and then, mercifully, cantered towards his stall. Sirius let out a sigh of relief. 

They managed to get Padfoot back in his stall and retreat to Acorn’s stall when he heard a man’s voice.

‘...thank you for your concern, Frank, but I’m sure we have enough hay to last us a while’

A stern faced woman came into view, followed by an older man with grey hair and a beard, the one who was speaking. Frank, visibly perspiring, was following them nervously. He sagged with relief when he spotted them. 

‘Who’s this?’ asked the woman, who’d also seen Sirius.

‘Sirius Black, ma’am. I just moved to this area and I’m staying with my uncle. I was wondering if I could join the stable?’

‘Sirius Black, eh?’ said the man, peering at him through half-moon spectacles. If it wasn’t for the boots and dungarees, Sirius would have thought he looked a bit like a wizard. ‘Alphard’s nephew?’

‘Yes sir’

‘Well, you’d be very welcome at the stables, of course. We need another rider, and a National winner certainly can’t hurt, though it’s open to anyone willing. Come into the office. We’ll need your signature’

‘Albus, what’s happening to Padfoot?’ Mary piped up.

Albus looked sadly at her. ‘I’m afraid he’s going to go to the pound in a week. I’m sorry, but we just don’t have the resources to keep a horse that not even Remus can ride. I’ve emailed Alphard and he’s given us permission to keep him if we want, but we can’t. I’ve tried selling him, but he’s so unmanageable, no one’s going to take him.’  
‘I can try to ride him’, Sirius said boldly. He didn’t want to give away the fact he already had and get the others in trouble. ‘He already let me touch him. I didn’t realise he was dangerous’, he added quickly. 

‘Alright, let’s see’

They trooped across the courtyard back to Padfoot, who snorted and whinnied when he saw Sirius.

‘Hey’ Sirius breathed. ‘You’re a good boy, aren’t you?’

‘Amazing’, said Albus. ‘The horse seems to be calm with him. Well, I think that solves the problem perfectly’. He looked pleased.

‘Albus, you haven’t even seen Mr Black ride him’, said the woman exasperatedly. 

‘Professor McGonagall’, hissed James in Sirius’ ear. Sirius nodded. The title did indeed fit the woman perfectly. 

‘Oh alright, go on then. Let’s see you ride him, then’

***

Alphard seemed quite unsurprised when Sirius told him he’d joined the stable that night at dinner. 

‘So they’re not sending the new horse away then? That’s good, I hate to see any horse go to the pound’

‘No. He’s beautiful’

‘You’re going to inherit the stables one day. I have no other heirs anyway.’

‘Really?’ Sirius exclaimed, eyes shining. ‘But I’d rather you didn’t die, uncle.’

Alphard grinned at him. ‘I appreciate the sentiment, Sirius. Did you meet Remus Lupin?’

‘No, they mentioned someone called Remus, but I think he was out riding’

‘That boy will give you a run for your money. Like lightning when he wants to, Albus says. You may be the best under 18 rider in the League, but Remus has a way with horses.’

‘If he’s that good then why don’t they get to nationals?’

‘You know how the system works, Sirius. You need to win two races to get through and you can’t have the same riders in more than one race. The others are good, no less than second or third, but not good enough to win’, he took a bite. ‘You could change that, though’.

‘I could’, said Sirius, head swimming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this could be anywhere from 4 to 8 chapters long.  
> Next chapter: we get to know the gang better and Remus enters *yay*  
> I love kudos and comments so lmk if you liked it!  
> Nikki x


	3. Remus

After breakfast, Sirius headed to Hogsmeade to do some grocery shopping at Mrs Dobby’s request. The walk was pleasant and Sirius was looking forward to returning to the stables and Padfoot.

He was also planning to buy some riding gear, having left all of his at Grimmauld Place. Just before disappearing into his study, Alphard had surprised him by handing him an old hard hat.

‘Belonged to me once, when I was your age. It was my grandfather’s before that - your great-great grandfather. I think. Anyway, I don’t really hold with the ancient ancestry thing like your parents, but I thought you might like to have it. My grandfather wasn’t like the rest of them - he was best friends with his horse’

Sirius had thanked him again and left for Hogsmeade.

***

He’d just bought eggs and milk and exited the supermarket when he spotted James talking to another boy. He couldn’t see who it was, but James’ tall figure and messy hair was unmistakable.

‘Sirius!’ called James, grinning as he waved him over.

‘Morning!’ Sirius replied, smiling back. James’ good humour seemed to be infectious.

‘Sirius, this is Remus. You know, our best rider’

Sirius turned to the other boy and… oh.

He was gorgeous.

He was taller than James and slim, with soft sandy hair that flopped into his eyes in an adorable way. His light hazel eyes, almost amber, were flecked with gold and crinkled in a smile. His face was slightly scarred, making him look enigmatic and captivating.

Sirius smiled at him, turning on his charm a little. ‘Hi Remus. I’ve heard a lot about you’.

‘Good things, I hope. And of course I’ve heard about you, Sirius Black’

His voice was warm and deep, almost musical. Sirius felt butterflies rising.

‘Good things, I hope’, he replied

‘We’re just heading to the stables now. You coming?’ asked James.

‘Definitely, but I need to pick up some riding gear first’

‘Oh yeah, of course you do. We’ll come along if you want. The sport shop’s just here, you can get everything you need’

‘That would be great, thanks!’

***

‘We’ve actually been wondering which one of you’s faster on a horse’, remarked James as they ambled into the stables.

‘James has been wondering. I’m honestly not as fast as everyone thinks’, said Remus.

‘You’re amazing, Remus. Even Filch was impressed’

‘Wait, who’s Filch?’

‘Argus Filch is our stable hand. He doesn’t come in on Tuesdays, so you wouldn’t have met him yet. He’s really grumpy. Hates me for some reason’

‘That reason is that you fed the horses those weird apples that made their teeth go blue. Gave him a right scare’

‘Oh yeah. Anyway, will you race? Please? We’ve all got bets’

‘Course you have. Well, I don’t mind. What do you think, Sirius?’

‘Sounds fun. I haven’t raced for fun in so long’

‘Really? We hold our own races often. Remus always wins. Every single one.’

‘I don’t’, muttered Remus, going pink. Sirius thought it looked adorable.

***

Sirius led Padfoot out of his stall. Padfoot had been overjoyed to see him and was rearing to be ridden again, making leading him a little hard. Remus watched, amused, as the horse whinnied and reared up at Sirius.

‘He seems to really like you. This is Moony, by the way. She’s mine. All the other horses belong to your uncle, but she belonged to my mum’

Moony was a lovely dark brown pony, with a rich black mane. It was clear to see why she was called Moony: a white moon-shaped marking adorned her forehead.

‘She’s lovely’

Remus beamed at him, which caused him to stumble slightly. He blushed, hoping the other boy hadn’t noticed.

James appeared with Lily, who looked curious.

‘Potter said you were going to race’

‘Yeah, we are’

‘Can I ask who betted on me winning?’ asked Remus.

‘Let’s see, me, Dorcas, Alice and Frank each have ten quid on you winning. Marls, Potter, Pete and Mary have a tenner on Sirius’

‘Good to see some of you have faith in me’, said Remus.

‘Don’t let me down, Siri!’ said James enthusiastically.

‘Please do not call me that’

‘Okay, Siri’

Sirius rolled his eyes in mock exasperation and managed to lead Padfoot out of his stall.

‘Finally!’

***

Everyone had assembled around the paddock again, with Albus, Slughorn and Professor McGonagall watching too. Sirius mounted Padfoot carefully, waiting for Remus to do the same. When they were ready, they waited for James to start the race.

He cleared his throat loudly and dramatically.

‘Good morning, fellow horse enthusiasts. We are gathered here to witness a race between Sirius Padfoot Black and Remus Moony Lupin. The race is one we have been looking forward to -’

‘Get on with it, Potter’, groaned Lily. Sirius stifled a laugh.

He shot her a dramatically hurt look and stepped up to the agreed start line.

‘Three, two, one, GO!’

Padfoot galloped forwards and Sirius felt the adrenaline pumping round his body. The feeling of elation filled him, fueled by the eyes of the watchers and his competitor. He glanced at Remus, who was behind him by a few inches, momentarily admiring the way he moved with the horse.

They approached the jumps with Padfoot in the lead by a small margin, which both horses sailed over with practiced ease. But here Moony was more comfortable, and Remus caught Sirius up. They rode side by side for another 100 metres before crossing the finish line simultaneously.

They dismounted. ‘Well, I guess that was a tie’, said Remus, shrugging and smiling slightly. He held a hand out. ‘You were a good opponent’.

Sirius took it, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. ‘And you’

‘It couldn't have been a tie,’ frowned James, ‘one of you must have been marginally faster’

‘Maybe, but considering the fact we didn’t see who the faster one was, I think we can consider it a tie’ cut in Albus.

‘At least you didn’t lose your money’, Remus pointed out.

Professor McGonagall (Sirius couldn’t stop thinking of her as Professor) looked disappointed. ‘James, what have I told you about betting?’

‘It wasn’t just me!’

She shook her head exasperatedly. ‘I’ll let you off this time’

Remus grinned at Sirius again and he smiled back, unable to quell the butterflies.

***  
Sirius spent every moment he could at the stables over the next week. He left as soon as he had bolted down his breakfast, sometimes going to Hogsmeade but more often going straight to the stables, where he met the others. Professor McGonagall and Horace, both seasoned riders, helped him work on bonding with his horse, although there wasn’t much they could teach him about technique after his parents. However, Sirius had quite a bit to learn about mucking out Padfoot’s stall and grooming him. That had always been done for him in the Black stables. It was hard work, but Sirius didn’t mind.

He went riding frequently, sometimes on his own but usually with the others. When they went out in a large group, Sirius found himself pulling ahead with Remus. They’d ride with the others for a while, then Remus would turn to him with a challenging smile that caused the butterflies to surge up. Sirius would urge Padfoot on and they’d gallop ahead together.

When he wasn’t riding or mucking out Padfoot’s stall, Sirius spent his time in the common room with the others. He was surprised to find himself fitting in with the other teenagers naturally; they had a similar sense of humour, loved horse riding and he enjoyed their company. In James, he quickly found a loyal and fun friend and they bonded over a love of pranking.

It had started when James put a fake mouse on a spring inside Sirius’ locker, so that it sprang out at him. Sirius retaliated by sticking sponges in James’ riding hat, so that it didn’t fit properly and kept springing off his head before he realised what was happening. The prank war continued for another three days, while everyone else massaged their temples, before they agreed on a truce and turned their combined genius onto pranking everyone else, which got everyone massaging their temples more. Professor McGonagall even left out a bowl of aspirin after finding all saddles covered in pink glitter.

‘So, what actually got you into horse riding?’ Sirius asked James. The two of them had ridden to the beach and were now sprawled on the sand.

James grinned sheepishly. ‘Lily’, he responded. Sirius chuckled. He’d gathered that James was ‘in love’ with Lily, apparently since they were twelve.

‘Explain’

‘Well, you know that we’re all in the same class at school except Alice and Frank since we were little. Lily, Dorcas, Marlene and Mary were really good friends, and they were that pony mad group, you know the type’, Sirius did - some of his classmates had been obsessed with horses, and as a consequence, him (not fun), ‘and they joined the stables to learn to ride as soon as it opened. I convinced Peter, who was my best friend at the time, to join so I could impress Lily with my skills. Turns out horse riding’s harder than it looks. But, well, we all kind of fell in love with it. Alice and Frank joined because Alice wanted to try something new and convinced Frank. She likes trying new things - different hobbies every week. But I guess she didn’t get tired of horse riding’

‘I know - it’s knitting this week, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, in the middle of summer!’ James snorted.

‘What about Remus?’

James’ brow furrowed. ‘He learnt to ride before the stables opened. His mum used to live on a farm and she taught him on Moony. He was in our class too, but he always kept to himself, especially after his mum died. He only opened up once we joined the stables’

‘He’s really good’

‘Yeah’, James grinned suddenly.

‘Race you back to the horses!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: wolfstar bonding <3 (maybe a bit of angst)  
> Leave kudos + comments if you liked it!  
> Nikki x


	4. Night meetings

‘What would happen if you put a werewolf on the moon?’

Sirius considered it. ‘Probably explode because of lack of oxygen’

‘I never said we’d send it up without a spacesuit, you monster’, James replied.

‘I know!’ said Remus, too brightly. ‘It would shut up and stop howling, which some certain others can’t seem to do’. 

Sirius chuckled. It had been a month since he joined the stables; the best month of his life. He’d blossomed as he was surrounded with people who like him for who he was. He became more confident and sure of himself, making up for years where he’d thought he could never live up to his family’s impossible expectations.

He’d been introduced to other kids who didn’t ride but went to school with the others - Benjy, Caradoc, Fabian, Gideon and others, where he’d found himself instantly popular. He’d been to parties, and found out from a game of Two Truths and a Lie (which Sirius had been surprisingly good at) that Remus was bisexual. He couldn’t pretend that didn’t send a jolt of hope through him. He also found out that Remus loved books and was one of the wittiest people Sirius had ever met.

James, Remus and Sirius were returning from a race by the beach. Sirius had started to help the others to improve their technique; he’d taught Regulus a lot because the coach had preferred to focus on him and his cousins - they were the ones who’d win the races - and found he was quite a good teacher; not that Minerva and Slughorn weren’t, but they had other jobs and didn’t spend as much time with the teenagers as Sirius was used to getting from his coach. James had improved considerably, as had the others.

‘Where is everybody?’ James wondered as they approached the gates. They entered and were greeted only by the horses. 

‘Maybe they’re inside the common room?’ answered Remus. ‘C’mon’

They put Padfoot, Prongs and Moony back into their stalls (Padfoot was now a lot more agreeable than when Sirius had first met him, but still didn’t let anyone else ride him) and passed into the common room. Everyone was indeed in there, clustered around a notice on the bulletin board, chattering excitedly.

‘What’s going on?’ Sirius asked. 

Marlene turned to him, eyes shining. ‘Regionals announced! They’re two weeks from now, held at the Gryffindor racecourse’

The country was split into four regions - Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. There were several different races at Regionals, with different lengths/jumps/rounds.Teams had to get at least two first places and three second places to get through and only four teams could get through from each region. After Regionals, the sixteen teams had a few knockout round at Nationals, which narrowed the number of teams to six. The final round determined the winner. Sirius had always raced in Slytherin, and won three times. 

‘Cool!’ James said enthusiastically. ‘We’re in with a chance this year with Siri’

‘Yeah, we just need to beat Beauxbaton’

Beauxbaton was a French international school in the same region. They had apparently beaten Hogwarts by one first place win.

‘Sounds fun’, grinned Sirius. He’d won the entire League a few times, but this time he didn’t even care if they came last in all the Regionals races (okay, maybe he’d care a little bit, his competitive streak would not let that pass) as long as he was with friends. Then he came to a realisation.

If they won, he’d see his family, he thought. Silently, unheard by the others who were excitedly discussing the competition, he slipped out of the common room into the warm afternoon air, and contemplated what he would do.

He didn’t want to let his friends down and lose on purpose - that would be selfish and cowardly. But he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to face his family yet. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning against the bricks. 

The door opened and shut quickly and he felt another presence coming near him. He kept his eyes closed.

‘Are you okay, Sirius? You look upset’, said Remus’ voice timidly. 

He looked at the other boy, trying to ignore how cute Remus’ eyes looked with the flecks illuminated by the post-midday sun. 

‘I’m fine, just…’, he sighed again. Remus waited patiently, looking slightly worried. ‘If we get to Nationals, I’m going to have to face my family again. My parents can’t touch me now and my cousins will insult me but I don’t care about that, it’s my younger brother Regulus. I still love him, even though he’s the one who told my stupid homophobic parents I’m gay and I hate him for it but he’s my little baby brother I protected from them, the only one who used to understand me before they converted him into another one of them’. He ran a hand through his hair, which was longer than he’d ever had it. He liked it. He glanced at Remus. ‘I’m sorry, you didn’t need to hear that’

‘It’s okay. You needed to let it out’

They fell silent for a minute or two. Sirius could feel Remus watching him. 

‘But… wouldn’t you like to see Regulus again?’

Sirius considered it. ‘I guess I would, actually. It would be nice to say goodbye properly’. He shot Remus a stronger grin. ‘And we might not even make it, so maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself’.

‘You know, I have a feeling we will. We’re a good team’

Even though Sirius knew Remus was referring to everyone in the stables and not the two of them, his heart pounded a little quicker. ‘I hope so’, he said.

Remus smiled sweetly. ‘Want to go back in?’

‘I kind of like it out here’

‘Me too, actually’

They stayed out together in companionable silence, watching birds flap lazily across the horizon and a little breeze flutter the leaves of surrounding trees.

***

Sirius found it hard to sleep that night. He’d gotten back in time for dinner and read a book (that Remus had recommended) for a while before sleeping. But now he was thinking of Regulus and feeling bad for giving up on him and leaving him behind.

He tossed and turned for a while before getting out of bed and glancing at his phone. 1 am. He pulled on jeans and a top, as well as the leather jacket he’d found in a sale and fallen in love with.

He padded downstairs, and gulped down a glass of water. He still felt wide awake, so after leaving a note for Alphard in case his uncle woke - it was unlikely, but he didn’t want him to worry, he crept out of the door into the cool night air. The moon was full and he could see the stars in all their glory, another thing he loved about the country. Turning his phone torch on, he made his way to the stables.

The horses were all asleep when he reached, all except Padfoot, who watched him with shining dark eyes. He hesitated briefly before leading the horse out of his stall, not bothering with a saddle - he’d ridden bareback many times. He’d gone riding late before with James and Remus, but not this late. 

As they exited the stables, Sirius noticed Moony’s stall was empty. It wasn’t uncommon for Remus to take her home, so he wasn’t worried. Padfoot whinnied quietly, eager for a ride, and Sirius mounted him.

They rode for twenty minutes at a full gallop, guided by the light of the unusually bright moon before Sirius slowed. The ride cleared his head. He didn’t feel so bad about Regulus; his brother would see sense soon. He always had. 

They approached a hilly area and began to canter over it. Enjoying the way the light breeze ruffled his locks and his body moved with Padfoot’s, he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he was at the top of the hill and had a view of the moon over the ocean in the distance. 

Suddenly, Padfoot whinnied. ‘What is it, boy?’ Sirius whispered. The horse shook its mane and snorted elegantly, slowing. Sirius squinted into the distance. There was a large tree that was clear. It was hard to see even with the constant light of the moon, but he could see the silhouette of a horse standing patiently next to it.

Was it Moony? He dismounted silently, and approached the tree. As they got closer, he could see the shaking figure of a boy that was undoubtedly Remus kneeling in front of the tree.

He left Padfoot standing near Moony and hesitated, not wanting to intrude. Remus was crying silently in front of a gravestone, oblivious to Sirius’ presence. Sirius was torn between comforting him and leaving him alone when Remus spoke.

‘Happy birthday, mum’, he whispered. ‘I wanted to tell you that there’s a new boy at the stables. Sirius Black. He’s - different. You’d like him’, his voice broke in a sob. ‘I miss you, mum’.

Sirius turned away to leave; this felt private. He shouldn’t be here.

‘Sirius?’

He turned back, heart lurching when he saw Remus’ tear stained face looking confusedly at him. He forced a smile.

‘Hi’

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a ride’, he shrugged, feeling awful. Remus didn’t seem angry at him for disrupting, though. He stood up and joined Sirius by the horses, who watched quietly.

‘My mum’s buried here. She died in a car accident. That’s how I got all these scars. My dad shut himself up after her death. He hates me for looking like her and he forbade me to come here, which is why I came at night. He’d know, otherwise. I always come here on her birthday’

Slowly, Sirius reached out and took Remus’ hand, watching him to make sure it was okay. Surprise flitted across the other boy’s face, but he didn’t flinch or pull back.

‘She must be really proud of you’, he said softly.

Remus smiled gratefully at him through his tears. ‘I’m sorry for crying. I just miss her a lot’

‘You have nothing to apologise for’

‘Want to ride to the beach? I know a pretty spot where we used to picnic. I’ve never been there since the accident, but I want to show you’

‘I’d love that’

***

The place Remus took him to was a flat, smooth rock, hidden by other rocks that towered around it. They left the horses a little further down, and climbed an arrangement of rocks that made a sort of stairway. 

They leant back and watched the waves roll lazily back and forth on the beach and the stars twinkling above them. The moon illuminated the sea, turning it an enchanting silver.

Sirius felt Remus’ eyes on him and turned to find the other boy watching him, eyes crinkled in a smile.

‘What?’ Sirius asked, pulse quickening at his attention.

‘Nothing’, Remus replied with a light blush, looking away. Sirius idly let his fingers trace the smooth rock, before coming across a small carving. He grinned.

‘Look’

Inscribed in the rock was a small _RJL_ , crudely cut but legible. Remus looked at it curiously and chuckled lightly.

‘That’s me, from when I was eight I think’

‘What does the J stand for?’

‘John’ 

‘Boring. Your other names make up for it though, Wolf Wolf'

‘You’re one to talk, Dog Star. It suits you. Brightest star in the sky and all that’

Sirius grinned back at him. ‘Fan of astronomy, are you?’

‘Yup, my mum loved astrology and mythology. I can see Sirius now, actually’

Sirius squinted up, searching for the star that was supposed to be the brightest. ‘Where?’

Remus reached for his hand. ‘Can I show you?’ he asked.

Sirius nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He hoped Remus couldn’t hear his racing heart.

Remus pointed Sirius’ hand to a star in the distance. ‘There. And that one’s Orion - ’

‘My dad. Also my middle name.’

‘And Andromeda’

‘One of my nicer cousins’

They stayed there, huddled together, Remus pointing out stars and Sirius commenting on the family members he associated with them. He didn’t fail to notice the way Remus tactfully avoided Regulus, nor the way he pulled away reluctantly when dawn began to flush across the sky and they had to go back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think it's going to be 8 chapters long.  
> Next chapter: the regional competition!  
> (sorry there wasn't much alphard in this one, but he might make a reappearance soon!)  
> Again, if you liked it, leave kudos + comments! <3  
> Nikki x


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